Landlord fined for renting 'too small' room to tenant

A REDHILL landlord has been fined for letting out a bedroom which a local authority had said was too small.

A REDHILL landlord has been fined for letting out a bedroom which a local authority had said was too small.

Mohammed Sarwar, of Brambletye Park Road, was fined £2,500 for breaching an overcrowding notice at the property he let out in Knighton Road.

The house, which had multiple bedrooms let out individually with access to a shared kitchen and bathroom, included one bedroom which was 4.5sq-m in size and, in 2007, was deemed unsuitable for letting out because it was too small.

But in March 2012 environmental health officers found the room was occupied.

On December 7, Sarwar appeared at Redhill Magistrates' Court to face two charges of breaching the overcrowding notice which was served on him under the Housing Act 2004. Sarwar was found guilty of both charges.

The 57-year-old was fined the maximum of £2,500, because he had made substantial profit from his actions, and was also ordered to pay court costs of £1,960 and a £15 victim surcharge. He received no separate penalty for the second charge.

Reigate and Banstead borough councillor Rita Renton, executive member for health, said: "I am pleased that the public will be made aware of the seriousness of breaching the regulations and hopefully will deter others from letting substandard accommodation for profit."

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She has been editorial director of the online and print titles in Surrey and north-east Hampshire since 2007. Marnie previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.